The role of Governments, Traditional Authorities and Civil Society in decentralized natural resources management

The recently issued, World Resources Institute publication, "Democratic Decentralization of Natural Resources: Institutionalizing popular Participation", critically reviews the ability of central governments, local authorities, civil society, non-government organizations and customary authorities, to manage natural resources in a just and equitable way that represents the interests of the poorest social groups.

Current decentralization reforms are characterized by the transfer of responsibilities for natural resource management to local institutions without sufficient transfer of powers and resources. "Decentralization requires both power transfers and accountable representation", but to whom should the power and resources be transferred, and to whom are these institutions accountable?

The document provides an overview of the challenges currently, being faced with decentralization of natural resources and presents democratic decentralization reform as an opportunity for promoting legally institutionalized popular participation.

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